ethical theory questions Flashcards
Your company collects customer data for marketing. A proposal is made to sell this data to a third party. What should you do according to deontological ethics?
A) Sell the data if it benefits the company financially. B) Ensure the customers are aware and have consented to the sale. C) Sell the data if other companies do it too. D) Ignore the data privacy concern as it is not your responsibility.
B) Ensure the customers are aware and have consented to the sale.
Explanation: Deontological ethics focuses on duty and following moral rules. In this case, the ethical duty is to respect customer privacy and confidentiality. Selling data without consent would violate these ethical duties, so customers must be informed and give consent for their data to be sold.
You find a security vulnerability in a competitor’s software. According to deontology, what should you do?
A) Report the vulnerability to your supervisor and wait for instructions. B) Keep the information to yourself to gain a competitive advantage. C) Notify the competitor to help them protect their users. D) Sell the information to a third party interested in exploiting the vulnerability.
C) Notify the competitor to help them protect their users.
Explanation: Deontologists believe in acting according to moral duties and principles. Reporting the vulnerability to the competitor aligns with the duty to protect the public and maintain professional integrity, as it helps prevent potential harm to users.
Your company wants to install software to monitor employee computer usage. According to deontological ethics, what is your ethical duty?
A) Install the software quietly to avoid employee backlash. B) Inform employees of the monitoring and get their consent. C) Install the software only if it improves productivity. D) Use monitoring only on employees who are suspected of misconduct.
B) Inform employees of the monitoring and get their consent.
Explanation: Deontology emphasizes the importance of respecting the rights and autonomy of individuals. Informing employees and obtaining their consent upholds the ethical duty to respect privacy and transparency in the workplace.
You have access to all employees’ emails and discover someone might leak sensitive information. According to deontological ethics, should you access their emails without consent?
A) Yes, because preventing a leak is more important. B) No, you should respect their privacy rights. C) Yes, but only inform your manager about the findings. D) No, but hint to the employee that you are aware of their actions.
B) No, you should respect their privacy rights.
Explanation: According to deontological ethics, respecting privacy is a fundamental duty. Even if accessing emails without consent could prevent a leak, it violates the employee’s right to privacy. A deontologist would argue against unauthorized access.
Your team is tasked with developing a feature similar to one in a popular software. According to deontological ethics, what should you ensure?
A) Ensure the feature is an exact copy for customer familiarity. B) Make the feature as different as possible to avoid plagiarism. C) Focus on what your team feels comfortable with. D) Replicate the feature because it's a common industry practice.
B) Make the feature as different as possible to avoid plagiarism.
Explanation: Deontologists value respect for intellectual property rights. Developing an original feature ensures adherence to ethical rules regarding intellectual property and avoids copying someone else’s work, which would be unethical according to deontological principles.
Your hiring algorithm unintentionally discriminates against certain groups. From a consequentialist perspective, what should you do?
A) Continue using it if it speeds up hiring. B) Stop using it until the bias is corrected. C) Use it but make the final decisions manually. D) Ignore the bias if it only affects a few people.
B) Stop using it until the bias is corrected.
Explanation: Consequentialism evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes. Using a biased algorithm could lead to unfair outcomes and potential harm. Correcting the bias ensures fairer results, aligning with the goal of maximizing overall positive consequences.
After a data breach, what is the best action according to consequentialism?
A) Notify customers immediately, regardless of the impact on the company. B) Wait to notify customers until you have resolved the breach. C) Notify only the customers who were directly affected. D) Ignore the breach unless customers notice.
A) Notify customers immediately, regardless of the impact on the company.
Explanation: Consequentialism focuses on the outcomes of actions. Notifying customers immediately allows them to take protective measures, potentially reducing harm. The positive consequences for the customers outweigh the potential negative consequences for the company.
You find a bug in an open-source project your company uses. According to consequentialism, should you fix it?
A) No, focus on your company’s projects. B) Yes, fix it to benefit the broader community. C) Only fix it if it’s urgent for your company. D) Fix it only if it leads to recognition for your company.
B) Yes, fix it to benefit the broader community.
Explanation: Consequentialists aim to maximize positive outcomes. Contributing a fix to an open-source project benefits not just your company but the entire community that uses the software, leading to greater overall good.
Outsourcing IT services can save money but may lead to job losses locally. According to consequentialism, what should you consider?
A) Outsource if it benefits the company's bottom line. B) Consider both the savings and the impact on local jobs. C) Ignore local job losses if the savings are significant. D) Outsource only if it aligns with global industry trends.
B) Consider both the savings and the impact on local jobs.
Explanation: Consequentialism requires evaluating the overall impact of a decision. While outsourcing could save money, the job losses in the local community could cause significant harm. Balancing both factors ensures a decision that considers all consequences.
Your app requires collecting user data for a better experience, but it could compromise privacy. What should you prioritize according to consequentialism?
A) Prioritize user experience to increase user base. B) Minimize data collection to protect privacy. C) Collect data and provide opt-out options. D) Use whatever method is fastest to deploy.
B) Minimize data collection to protect privacy.
Explanation: Consequentialism focuses on the results of actions. Minimizing data collection reduces the risk of privacy breaches, leading to better outcomes for users. Protecting privacy can prevent harm and build trust, which can have long-term positive consequences.
Your project is behind schedule. From a virtue ethics perspective, what should you do?
A) Keep quiet and try to catch up. B) Be honest with your superiors about the delay. C) Blame external factors for the delay. D) Only report the delay if asked directly.
B) Be honest with your superiors about the delay.
Explanation: Virtue ethics emphasizes the importance of honesty and integrity. Being truthful about the delay demonstrates honesty and accountability, virtues that are essential for maintaining trust and ethical behavior in professional settings.
You discover a vulnerability in widely used software. According to virtue ethics, what action should you take?
A) Disclose the vulnerability publicly to pressure a fix. B) Privately inform the developers to encourage a responsible fix. C) Exploit the vulnerability for personal gain. D) Ignore it as it’s not your responsibility.
B) Privately inform the developers to encourage a responsible fix.
Explanation: Virtue ethics focuses on acting in ways that reflect good character traits, such as responsibility and care. Informing the developers privately shows consideration for responsible disclosure and avoids potential harm that could come from public exposure of the vulnerability.
Your team has limited time for learning new skills. According to virtue ethics, what should you encourage?
A) Focus solely on current projects to meet deadlines. B) Encourage skill development to cultivate growth, even if it delays projects. C) Only allow learning if it directly benefits the current project. D) Ignore professional development unless mandated by the company.
B) Encourage skill development to cultivate growth, even if it delays projects.
Explanation: Virtue ethics values the development of good character traits, such as diligence and a commitment to growth. Encouraging professional development, even if it means a delay, promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement, reflecting virtuous behavior.
You are developing AI for content moderation. According to virtue ethics, what should be your focus?
A) Creating an AI that maximizes content reach. B) Developing AI that is fair and transparent in its decision-making. C) Prioritizing speed over accuracy in content moderation. D) Focusing on reducing costs regardless of fairness.
B) Developing AI that is fair and transparent in its decision-making.
Explanation: Virtue ethics focuses on cultivating virtues like fairness and transparency. In AI development, prioritizing these virtues ensures the technology aligns with ethical standards and contributes positively to society.
A colleague shares sensitive information with you that could harm the company. What action would a virtue ethicist likely take?
A) Keep the information secret to maintain trust. B) Report the breach to protect the company. C) Share the information with others to protect yourself. D) Ignore the information as it doesn’t concern you directly.
B) Report the breach to protect the company.
Explanation: Virtue ethics emphasizes acting with integrity and loyalty. Reporting the breach reflects a commitment to protecting the organization’s interests and maintaining a trustworthy character, even if it might strain personal relationships.
